BYU and Wisconsin have finalized a home-and-home football series, according to a report today by Tom Mulhern of the Wisconsin State Journal.

Wisconsin would host BYU at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison in 2013. The Badgers would then return the trip to LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on a date to be announced.

https://twitter.com/TomMulhernWSJ/status/225989014233153536

BYU and Wisconsin have been rumored to be in discussions for a series for some time now. Back in March, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said there was a “good chance” that the Cougars would schedule the Badgers.

The two schools first and only meeting was in 1980 in Madison. The Cougars won that game 28-3.

If the series becomes official, it will be another strong opponent for BYU’s 2013 football schedule. The Cougars are already slated to host Boise State, Georgia Tech, Texas, and Utah and travel to Hawaii, Houston, Notre Dame, Utah State, and Washington State.

As for Wisconsin, BYU would be their third non-conference game scheduled in 2013. The Badgers open the 2013 season at home vs. UMass and also travel to face Arizona State.

30 Comments to Report: BYU, Wisconsin agree to Home-and-home Football Series

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David C. Mooresaid....

The TBD status on the return date to Provo is what it is due to conference affiliation issues pertaining to BYU. As many know (or refuse to believe), BYU has been in discussions with the Big 12, and could very well find themselves joining that league in time for the 2014 season. The fact that BYU is looking at league options should explain why the independent scheduling has been so tedious for Holmoe, who has to have voidable or postpone-able contracts before he can make a firm commitment with another school. Another contingency he has for remaining 2013 dates which fans might not like is Idaho and New Mexico State who will by that time be without an FBS conference.

Word from Doug Fullerton of the Big Sky is that Idaho has been seriously negotiating with them for a return of basketball and the non-revenue sports for as early as 2013-14 and football perhaps later since the Vandals would need at least 2 seasons to pair scholarships down from 85 to the FCS mandated 63 and not wipe out an entire recruiting class.

JPsaid....

Chucksaid....

Is it true there is less than a 50/50 chance the Badgers would make a return to Provo and just buy out the contract due to their past scheduling issues? I’ve heard and read that Wisconsin has a hard time scheduling a tough schedule unless fits until their teams’ make-up for that given season.

eliminatorsaid....

Wisconsin is unlikely to schedule two long road trips to play NC FBS teams in the same year, so eliminate 2014 (Washington St.), 2016 (VaTech), and 2018 (Washington). Though both are coming to Madison, the Badgers already have Washington and VaTech on schedule for 2017, I wouldn’t expect a third tough NC opponent. This leaves 2015 as most likely IMHO.

Ca bluesaid....

I am a big BYU fan, and I would love to see the Cougs go to the Big 12. But, alas, it simply will not happen. There is no doubt that they have been talking. But everyone else out there has been in talks as well. Being in talks is nothing more than just that unless in results in an invitation. At this point in time, it appears that the Big 12 member institutions are content with their current composition. The new B12 commish, Bob Bowlsby, just did a radio interview on ESPN Dallas, and I heard nothing that would indicate that they are looking to expand…

Steve Youngsaid....

BYU independence continues to look like a failure. I see many years worth of poor home schedules where the last home game is in mid October. 2013 looks half decent, but I expect us to get 1 decent home slate in exchange for 3 turd home schedules. Hopefully Wisconsin keeps up their end of the contract but I doubt we will ever see them in Provo. But hey, at least ESPN is paying us $5M a season, so that makes it worth it to fans like me. SMH

Bronco Mendenhallsaid....

Max Hallsaid....

Yeah it was very important to get away from Utah & TCU. Our inability to win the MWC was getting downright embarrassing. Can’t wait for our November rivalry games against Idaho U! We are awesome. This who plan is a raging success.

Hanoisaid....

Davesaid....

BYU won’t ever be invited for several reasons. One, BYU does not fit the very first requirement for being in the PAC. You must be a research institution. BYU is not. If they were, Cal specifically, is very opposed to any religiously affiliated schools. The Sunday thing is an inconvenience, but if the PAC really wanted BYU, they’d work around it. Next, they may have a national fanbase, but it’s not enough to add a significant enough television market. BYU’s deal with ESPN is for something like 2M? I might be a little off, but it’s somewhere around there. If that’s what the market says BYU is worth, then they don’t warrant adding them because schools currently receive north of 20M per year from television starting this year. Also, at this point, there is no reason at all to go beyond 12.

BCsaid....

Well, no one will come out and say it, but the Pac 12 is happy with 12 teams and don’t want to be locked into not being able to schedule games on Sundays, due to BYU’s superstition that Sunday is reserved for a man to spend time with his wives. They also feel it is unfair that BYU gets to automatically redshirt athletes for 2 years when they go on their mission to find people ready to abandon their own religious beliefs and join the holy undergarment sect.

On the other hand, the Big 12 needs to extra bodies to get to 12 and reinstate a conference playoff, and their options are limited. Perhaps UTSA will be ready to step up in a couple of years, and BYU will be an adequate fit for the 12th school. The other options would be teams like UNM and Colorado State, and they would be more weak links (see Iowa State) that don’t add much beyond counting as a FBS member.

Is BYU willing to abandon the only program on the BYU network that people actually watch, to join a conference where Texas calls all the shots? It doesnt seem like a good fit for me. I think the Big East is more likely, especially if they have SDSU, Boise and (probably) AFA already out west. otherwise, get used to seeing a lot of WAC teams.

gregsaid....

Jinzosaid....

Agreed Greg…..anything short of a death penalty is a incredible insult to the victims of Sandusky. SMU did far less wrong doing and yet they got nailed….Pedophile State deserves the same.
And no,I can’t see BYU to the Big 12…..